New figures reported by BBC show Welsh Councils’ overall spend on looked-after children trebled from £76m in 2001/02 to £256m in 2016/17.

Welsh Conservatives said funding cuts to social care and local authority budgets meant Welsh Government were dealing councils a “double hammer-blow."

A report to Wales' Public Accounts Committee said it was "becoming unsustainable."

Commenting, Suzy Davies AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Social Services, said: “A £141m real terms cut to local authority budgets, coupled with a £20m reduction in spend on social care delivery, means Welsh Government are dealing a double hammer-blow to councils this year. Especially in light of the £2bn additional funding for social care announced by the UK Government.

“It is little wonder that councils are struggling to cope with a rise in demand and increasing complexity of looked after children’s needs.

“That so many children now rely on social care can be attributed in large part to the Welsh Labour Government’s failure to use the devolved levers available to it to lift communities out of poverty.

“Councils need more funding and Welsh Government need to show greater economic leadership so our looked after children and poorest communities get the same opportunities as the rest of the country.”